To Finish What's Begun
by Tai Birdsong
Summary: Dashi, hiding in Milan, realizes that Xiaolin is struggling in their battle against Heylin and decides to take in an apprentice. But what happens when Dashi starts to develop mixed feelings about his protegee? *STILL ON HIATUS, SORRY!*
1. Complete Strangers

A/N: Yes, yes, I know, Tai's finally posting? It's hard to believe, but I promise, I won't scrap this one. Please rate and review! This one's for you PacifistYaoiShipper, who helped me so much on the plotline and scenes, and for AidenRose who first got me into writing! Hope you chickadees like it! By the way, this is the second version of this chapter—PacifistYaoiShipper told me that three years isn't adequate time to achieve a master belt of any kind, so I changed some numbers around—Thanks for that, Din!

Disclaimer: Tai owns nothing, 'cept for Corinne, the reader's notebook she stole from school in which this story is being written down in, and the sexy Skeleton Jack pen she got from Disney World which it's being written with. Got that? Please don't sue. Now, on with the show—or, er, fanfiction rather!

**To Finish What's Begun**

Chapter 1: Complete Strangers

"Damn it," Corinne muttered to herself as she glanced at a sign with a map of the crowded streets of Aoyama. She noted a large red X that stated, 'You are here!' but didn't recognize where 'here' was. She looked around nervously, already paranoid of the huge, chaotic crowd and the hundreds of streets in which she could get herself hopelessly lost in. _Stop that, _she snapped to herself. Her imagination was being allowed to run wild without check or boundaries. She turned down a slightly familiar-looking street, but it turned out to be a dim back alleyway. Corinne grimaced at the obvious poverty of the way, but decided to see where it led out to. She noticed a bum sitting against the brick wall to the left of her, his knees curled into his chest. He seemed to be asleep, unmoving, but Corinne couldn't truly tell because his Oriental rice paper hat blocked his eyes from her view. He seemed to stir under her gaze, though, so she quickly averted her stare, passing him by without another glance.

Corinne soon saw that the end of the alleyway was blocked with another brick wall, topped with spiky chicken-wire. Turning around, she considered knocking on a door to the left or right of her and asking an occupant of one of the small run-down apartments to point her to the nearest train station, but after looking at the state of the homes again, she discarded the thought.

She saw a group of four men, walking towards the dead end, nudging each other and laughing boisterously. They took up most of the narrow space in the tight street, walking side by side, and Corinne took to one side to give them space so she wouldn't bother them—and they wouldn't bother her.

It didn't work.

One of them said something that Corinne didn't hear to the others, and their pace immediately slowed as they were about to pass by. She shook her head stiffly, lips tight, as one of them looked directly over at her and said, "Hey, girl."

They snickered when she didn't answer, and called again, louder this time. They asked if she was lost. She shook her head once again. Corinne then felt a heavy hand land on her shoulder. She yelped, looking up to see a ruddy face leering down at her.

"Hey, now, girlie, we only wanna help." His speech was slurred; the air around her reeked of cigarettes and stale beer. She tried to say something, anything, but her voice had deserted her.

_Traitor throat,_ she thought angrily.

She, instead, merely brushed his hand off her arm. When he tried to make contact again, she slapped it away more fiercely. "Stop it, okay!" she managed to shout, and speed up. When they clearly moved to follow, she pivoted around, and yelled, "Look, I don't want to mess around! Just leave me alone. I don't have anything at all on me—no purse, no wallet, no cell phone, nothing!"

The four men sneered and laughed her feistiness. One said, "Ha! A spitfire, she is now!" and another: "We don't want your _money_, girl." Corinne stopped where she stood. _Oh, God…, _she thought, quivering internally.

She bent her legs slightly and raised two curled fists in front of her. "Listen, I have black belts in Wushu and Jiu Jitsu. Don't come any closer!" She meant it, and it _was _true, but her voice had cracked on the last syllable of 'any,' and the effect was ruined. They scoffed at her claim.

"You sure talk big, girl." "You play poker, bluffer?" one jeered.

"I'm not bluffing! I'll kick your asses if you come any closer. Stay the hell away, damn it!" The _other_ side of her vocabulary kicked in as she began to spring into full-blown desperate panic. "Stay away!" she repeated, damning herself internally when her voice came out weak and whimpering.

"No," the man who was evidently the leader said.

But he stopped when a cold, sharp edge pressed against his Adam's Apple firmly and suddenly.

"Do you want to consider that answer?" a polished, menacing voice inquired softly.

His eyes widened. "Hey! What the hell man? Lay off!"

The voice of the blade's owner was mocking as he threw back the other man's earlier comment. "No," he said it quite simply. The gang's leader was panicking at the face of what he had been about to do to another.

"W-we were just joking around. We didn't mean nothing, swear!"

A soft chuckle was heard. "Of course you didn't…" But the grip on the knife only tightened, and the blade only pressed closer. Corinne watched a bead of sweat run its course down her stalker's face.

"Hey, hey, we'll go, okay? Y-you don't have to… We'll leave her alone!" he stammered.

"Damn right, you will," the voice murmured, and she saw two long, pianist's fingers pinch a nerve in the man's neck, and he slumped to the ground unconscious.

With him on the ground, Corinne's rescuer was no longer hidden from view, and she was shocked to see the supposed 'bum' she had noticed earlier. She wanted to thank him, but he silenced her with a sharp glance that clearly said, 'Wait—we're not out of this just yet.' The other members of the gang hadn't moved throughout this exchange, and now was no exception. They seemed to be frozen in place, before the 'bum' spat out, in the same dangerously quiet voice, "Scram,_ dirt_,"

They complied, rushing out of the alleyway, not even sparing their leader a second glance. Corinne immediately launched into a long-winded thank-you, before he stopped her, holding up a hand and saying that it was quite alright. Corinne couldn't see how she'd missed his plain, but fine, clothes before—the top a traditional black Chinese tunic, the custom tight-fitting pants white. His skin was pale: one shade away from being an almost sickly shade of white-yellow, and his face was long and intelligent, eyes feminine and sharp, missing no small detail.

Corinne's apology died off, and she merely said, "...Thank you," quietly, bowing her head down so her chest-length dark brown hair created thick, hanging curtains on either side of her face.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "It's no problem, really," he assured her, shutting the army pocket-knife and stowing it away carefully in his pants' pocket. "But could I ask you something?" His eyes landed on hers suddenly.

Corinne nodded. "Um, sure."

She felt awkward responding in such a manner. His voice and speech were beautiful; he spoke in unfamiliar cadences that seemed more appropriate for a turn-of-the-nineteenth-century novel than modern Japan. His English seemed completely natural. Most people in Japan now-a-days could speak English, but it was usually easy to tell if it was a person's first language or not when they spoke it.

The man continued, "So do you actually have two black belts, or was that big talk like they thought?"

Corinne brushed back the 'curtains' and admitted, "I do, but I haven't taken classes in five or so years. I'm nineteen."

The man nodded again, looking preoccupied. "I see, Miss...?" His voice trailed off in an open-ended statement. Corinne flushed and bowed her head again briefly. "Sorry, my mistake. My name is Corinne. Corinne Mandel." She tacked on her last name for politeness' sake, remembering how important respect was, in even current Japan. "Mandel-san." He offered a hand out to see her, and his name. "Dashi," was all he gave her, and she supposed it had to be his first name. What kind of last name would Dashi be? She smiled and moved to shake his hand, embarrassed when she held out the wrong hand, immediately switching.

"So you know the arts also?" It took her a moment to grasp that by 'the arts' he meant martial arts.

"Yes, Dashi-san. My mother, she enrolled me in classes at six years old and I kept at it until I was fourteen. Once I earned my black belts in Wushu and Jiu Jitsu, I stopped. Dashi seemed to ponder this for a moment before saying,

"Fight me."

Corinne choked out, "I'm sorry?" _Did he just say what I think he said? _she thought to herself incredulously. "Fight me, "he repeated. "Now that I think of it, your beginning stance from before was strong; advanced. I am learned extensively in the techniques of Wushu and Jiu Jitsu. I would wish to compare our styles." If he had said it any other way, he would have been boasting, but Corinne noted that his tone of voice was kind, merely curious, not looking to injure or offend.

"I'm sorry, Dashi-san, but I couldn't possibly—I haven't practiced in ten years, like I said. Plus," she laughed, "I don't want to embarrass myself in front of someone I barely know."

The 'person she barely knew' grinned good-naturedly. "Then let's you and I get to know each other, over a bowl of ramen."

After she finally agreed, he seemed in a euphoric mood and began to lead their way out of the alley. He seemed to know the way well, as if he had traveled the streets very well throughout his life. She heard a loud cuss word, a shriek, and a bang at one point and stopped to stare at the door behind which it had seemed to come from, in alarm. Dashi stopped when he no longer heard her pattering sandal-steps accompanying his own. He turned to see Corinne frowning at a doorway and teased gently,

"Once you're done admiring the woodwork, would you be coming... stranger?"

Corinne laughed, shook away any cloudy thoughts that had passed through her mind, and caught up, walking beside him again. She matched their strides.

End Chapter One! Yayness!

R&R, peoplez!!!


	2. Ramen

A/N: Okay, second chapter, here we go. I'm happy to see I haven't been slipping into E.S.C. syndorme—otherwise known as Extremely Short Chapter syndrome. They aren't incredibly long either so far, but would you think they are satisfying? Oh, and also, whoever is reading this should GO back and read the first chapter, because I changed some years around. My friend Pacifist Yaoi Shipper (Te-chan!!!) told me that three years is not adequate time enough to earn two black belts, so I had to change some numbers around with Corinne. But besides from that, nothing's real important. Just hope you like the chap! Oh, and someone I forgot to thank in the first chappy—my sis Corinne, whom I love so dearly, for lending me her name. But enough with my rambling!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Corinne, and my socks. (...I'm not wearing socks, though... THINK HARD!!!!!!!!)

Chapter Two: Ramen

"Birthday?" Dashi inquired, twirling a noodle into his mouth with a pair of wooden chopsticks deftly and skillfully. Corinne envied that-- her fingers were clumsy and noodles hung over the side of her ceramic bowl.

He had wanted to pay, but she had insisted it should be her treat since he had probably saved her life. She had bought two small bowls for them, after realizing her wallet wasn't quite as big as her gratitude. She apologized, but he denied any necessary for that at all.

"April eighteenth."

They had been interrogating each other non-stop in the last fifteen minutes, on everything from favorite colors (both of theirs being light green), to their opinions on the existence of humanity (Corinne believed it was to live out life to the fullest, but Dashi's answer only left her slightly dizzy with all of the symptoms of eating too many Coney Island chili dogs).

He nodded, catching Corinne's eye contact. "So nineteen last month?"

"Mm-hmm. You?"

Dashi opened his mouth to respond, but hesitated for a long moment. "June twelfth. I'll be... twenty-three." Corinne raised her eyebrows. "Really? Twenty-three? You barely look twenty!"

He grinned easily. "Ha, so I've been told. That can be a good or bad thing-- good when it comes to skirting off on responsibilities reserved for 'adults,'" (He pronounced it with the stress on 'A,' not 'dults,' something her father had done also, and rolled his eyes along with the word, taking on a mock-serious tone), "but bad for trying to get into twenty-one-and-over bars!" She laughed along with him. He was really very easy to get along with, despite his apparent properness.

When their chuckles faded away, Dashi commented, "Are you originally from Japan? You look the part, but your mannerisms seem foreign—not lacking in any way, mind you, just foreign. Do you travel, perhaps?"

Corinne hesitated the same way he had. She looked down and stirred the brothy remains in her bowl with a single chopstick. "I was born here, in Aoyama," she finally said, grateful to Dashi for waiting so patiently for her answer, "and stayed here till I was twelve. My mother was Japanese, my father American, but my mother made it it so my days were spent learning only of Japan's history, culture, and more. It was forced upon me, and I left the day I could to the United States. It was hard—things are expensive there, even in the suburbs where I made a home for myself—but I found a way to go day by day."

Dashi had listened with rapt attention. "When did you decide to come back to Japan? Back to Aoyama?" he asked, after she didn't go on. "If I may ask, of course," he tacked on, so as not to seem rude.

Corinne sighed and answered, "I only plan on being here till next week. I was visiting my mother's house, for my father's funeral. He passed away recently... cancer, unfortunately."

Dashi seemed taken aback. He faltered for a moment, then:

"I'm sorry to hear that. I can tell, from the way you speak—you two were close." Corinne just nodded, then said, "And you, you're from Japan?" in an effort to change the subject.

The bald man opposite her shook his head. "China... I'm everywhere, nowadays. I travel frequently."

Corinne leaned forward, on hand propping her head up, the other fiddling with the sleeve of her satin blue blouse. "And whatever happened to turn your eyes on little Aoyama?" she joked. Aoyama was a giant, bustling tourist-flytrap of a town. 'Little Aoyama' was the farthest possible description.

Dashi played along, eyes twinkling. "Oh, it's a quaint little settlement, with a friendly, elderly populace, and wonderful environment in which to raise children." He rolled his eyes, then went on, "Well, to tell you the truth... I'm here looking for an apprentice."

_Apprentice? For what? _When Corinne voiced her thoughts, Dashi grinned cheekily.

"Fight me and I'll tell you."

Corinne studied her surroundings carefully—they would be important to the fight. The street was wide, but suspiciously lacking the usual large crowd that accumulated around this time of day. Not even a single vending cart was in sight. The floor was a modern sort of cobblestone, easy to trip over, all of the side walls were smooth and useless, but at least the space was ideal for circling and moving about.

When she looked over to Dashi, she saw him remove his outer coat, and his...

_Shoes? What is he...?_

He noticed her stare, and laughed softly. "Don't ask—it helps... me, at least."

The black tunic Corinne saw now was nearly identical to the one he had worn over it, but with no sleeves. His arms were weathered and muscled—they had obviously seen many years of intense training.

Once they had both stretched and gotten a feel for the place, they took position. Or rather Corinne did. Dashi just sort of stood there, arms crossed behind his back with a bemused smile lifting his features.

Corinne's stance was basic, but held strength: her two feet planted firmly apart, both of her hands curled into almost fists in front of her and knees bent slightly.

After a few long moments, Corinne faltered, unsure of why Dashi simply stood there.

That was when he attacked.

He almost seemed to fly at her, and slammed one hand toward her, the palm completely straight. Corinne yelped and managed to block his hand with her own arm. There was a short standstill, then Corinne slid her arm down in order to shake off Dashi's hand. A millisecond later, his _other _hand flew at her, faster than the one before, and the process repeated itself several times.

Dashi quickly grew tired of their game and bent his knee, sending a roundhouse kick Corinne's way and knocking her legs out from under her. She landed in a bridge, and flipped her legs up over herself, hopping once to regain her balance.

She shot out a fist aimed at Dashi's chest as a test, and it was caught easily by his own hand. His grip tightened, and he attempted to swing her around into a wall. Corinne straightened her arm, placing her other hand on his shoulder and flipping herself high over him. She landed behind her opponent and sent a powerful leg out to land between his shoulderblades.

He spun around and crouched quickly, dodging her blow. He balanced on one leg and tried the roundhouse kick route again, but this time Corinne was ready.

She jumped into the air and landed after the kick had passed her. While Dashi's foot was still in the air and he was vulnerable, she managed to land a heavy blow on his chest.

He seemed to not even feel it, and in a blur that Corinne hardly registered, wound up behind her. He held her two wrists in his large hand.

"Oh my," he said, and his breath was uneven, "You're quite good, aren't you? You landed a blow."

He sounded remarkably surprised, and as soon as he had held them, he let her wrists go.

Corinne turned slowly, feeling the toll of the quick but violent fight. She panted out, "Wow. You're good. _Really _good. Much better than I am" At that he smiled. Taking one deep breath, he said, "Nonsense, I've just been training for all of my life, a lot longer than you have. That's certainly reason to be better than you. But come, Corinne-san. Let's you and I wait for the rainstorm—I can see one heading toward here—and cool off. Then I'll buy us drinks. My treat, this time." Corinne smiled gratefully, then remembered the cause for the fight in the first place. "And you have to tell me what you meant by 'apprentice.' Right?" Dashi nodded, tight-lipped. "Right."

Corinne let out a sigh of relief as the cool rain fell upon the earth, herself, and Dashi. It soaked through her gossamer-thin blouse straight to her skin, and it washed off the sweat that had practically pooled on her during the fight.

People ran for cover, under some of the larger vendor's carts, over-hanging building signs, and the brave ones made towards home, furiously pedaling on bicycles.

Dashi and Corinne simply stood and grinned toward the sky as they cooled off.

When they were both wet as could be, they laughed and ran to the nearest tea-house they saw. As they brushed against the rest of the crowd, dirty looks were directed at them for sharing their wetness with others.

They found themselves quickly seated by a hostess, who probably wanted to get them out of the throng before more possible customers left in a huff.

When they sat down at a small table placed conveniently placed in a small, quiet corner, Dashi and Corinne considered before both ordering Tchai tea. Or, rather, Dashi ordered for her—the waitress only spoke Japanese. The petite Japanese girl practically ran away to serve more customers, and came back only fleetingly to set down two large mugs of steaming liquid.

As they sipped the drinks they found themselves warming up considerably, and Corinne only then noticed she had been shivering. Shaking it off, she addressed Dashi:

"...So, about that apprenticeship thing..." She swirled her spoon around in the tea for lack of anything better to do.

Dashi nodded to let her know he had heard, and seemed to consider his answer for a long time. "I'm telling you this because I trust you, alright?" At Corinne's hurried nod, he simply said,

"Xiaolin and Heylin..."

Corinne almost spoke, but he continued after a brief pause.

"Xiaolin and Heylin are two opposing sides. Xiaolin, the good, and the ones who will, in the end, prevail. They must. The Heylin call themselves 'righteous,' but they live only to torment others, make everyone's lives personal hell. I am, or rather was, a grandmaster of the Xiaolin Temple—located in China. I fought on the side of Xiaolin, before I... left to be with myself." He seemed to talk to only himself now, lost in his own thoughts.

_Xiaolin... Heylin? What... What is this!? _Corinne's thoughts were interrupted, as finally he mentioned what she had been listening for in particular.

"I came here looking for an apprentice, because Xiaolin has to have help, they _need _it, or they will perish to the Heylin side. And you, Corinne-san," Corinne was startled when he said her name; she had thought he was no longer aware of talking to her, "You would be the perfect apprentice."


	3. Milan

A/N: Alright, third chapter, people! This one took a while, but that's because I was distracted by the perks of vacation! And I had to rewrite it a few times, due to intense lameness. Listening to We Are Always Searching by I am GHOST greatly helped. Ha! Well, thanks to Laura-chan for encouraging me and listening to my lengthy rants on the issue of growl Sue. growl. XD So, I'm going to be in Baton Rouge from Thursday to Saturday. And next week, I'll be gone Friday and Saturday, in Georgia. So the next chapter might take a little bit. Sorry, but life is how it is. And I'm on vacation! Nyah!! XP Now, finally, on with the story!

Chapter Three: Milan

"...I'm sorry?" Corinne said, for the second time since she had met Dashi.

Dashi smiled lightly. "Oh, don't be sorry; it is what it is. But if by 'I'm sorry,' you meant you have heard me incorrectly, then I said that you would be the perfect apprentice. Every person I come across who claimed to know of the arts has, to be quite frank, sucked. And now, finally, I come across you—you! You, who can actually fight! I'm asking you to become my apprentice, Corinne-san, to make it simple. My home is in Italy, Milan to be exact, and you would be trained there, to fight for the Xiaolin. You would be a powerful asset in the war—because there _is _a war coming, that much I know. Whether it be weeks from now, or two years I have no idea, but there _will _be a war."

Corinne blinked at his brief rant. "You want me? To be your apprentice?" It was a stupid question, she knew, but the idea refused to register in her head, what with all the talk of war and Xiaolin and Heylin muddling her thoughts.

Dashi seemed exasperated now, with good reason. He put a hand to his brow, then repeated in a slow tone, as if talking to someone mentally retarded, "Yes. I want you to be my apprentice, Corinne-san. Please."

_Xiaolin... Heylin? It's all just as Father said. All of the stories he told me, they were all about these... forces, and this upcoming war. Could he have known this would happen? _Corinne groaned internally. _Dad, what have you gotten me into?_

But eventually, she said yes, and Dashi pulled her quickly outside, into a quiet nook invisible to the passing eye.

"Hold on to my hand, tight," he instructed her, peeking around the corner, to assure himself that no one could tell what was going on.

Corinne, meanwhile, was gripping onto his hand so tight that his fingers were an ashy grey color by now.

Dashi glanced down at his hand in concern before squeezing back in return, then closing his eyes.

Corinne suddenly felt a strange sensation, almost as if she was on a roller coaster, but with a more intense queasy feeling in her stomach. She struggled to close her eyes, and sweat started to bead on her forehead. Her world spun in her view, and she felt like she was going to collapse from the sheer magnitude of the dizziness...

And just in time, it stopped.

Corinne stood still for a few more moments, just for good measure, and when Dashi's hand released its tight hold on her own, she opened her eyes.

_I don't think I'm in Japan anymore..._

People bustled about, but no one's eyes were slanted, and no one's hair was quite that dark. Instead, a chatter filled her ears, none of which she understood, and people wore expensive scarves, gauchos, and billowy shirts. Designer bags hung from the arms of nearly every woman.

Dashi muttered into her left ear, "Follow me, quickly."

He set off at a brisk pace, his long legs covering an unfair amount of distance compared to Corinne's shorter ones. She did as he had instructed, trying to keep an eye on him while gazing at her surroundings. She saw a sign for Milan il Prosciutto (a butcher store from what it looked like) and concluded this must be Milan, Italy.

When Dashi and her reached what resembled a vacant department store, they went around the building and went through an unlocked door.

The inside was one giant room, and things were scattered about the floor—scrolls, robes and other clothing articles, _plates_, and Corinne sighed. No matter what type of _grandmaster _he was, he was still a man.

At her exasperated look, Dashi laughed. "I haven't cleaned up in a while, that's all. Oh, wait just a moment, please."

She stopped where she stood, five or so feet from the door, and he walked past her to kneel on the wooden floor, his back to her. From what she could see, he was moving his hands about in a slow fashion over the ground.

Corinne was so enraptured in the mysterious motions he was making, that when he stood up and her gaze lifted, she realized she had remained completely oblivious to the room molding itself around her.

It was now separated into four rooms, as far as she could see, with one large, open space (probably for training, she expected) in the middle of it all.

Dashi waved an arm lazily toward a simple door. "That's where you can sleep, put your things, etcetera, etcetera."

When she opened her mouth to point out that she _had _no things, except for the clothes on her back, he added, "And there should be everything you need in the closet attached. For now, we rest. Tomorrow, we train."

He had taken on a serious tone, and Corinne struggled to keep her mouth in a straight line, and gave a short, affirmative nod, before surrendering to a quick grin. Dashi shook his head, smiling with her, and headed to a different door than hers.

Corinne entered what would be her room from now on, and took it all in. Not just the room, but... everything. The whole Xiaolin, Heylin thing, the apprenticeship, a new... home.

In her thoughts, she took the extra time to explore the room. It wasn't painted—a simple white—and a small futon mattress was on an angle in a far corner. A dresser was filled with red and black robes, pairs of firm black slippers, and calf-length white, cloth capris that apparently went under the robes.

Soon, she had explored every nook and cranny of the room and its attaching bathroom (there were a lot more rooms than she had originally thought there were) and sank into the soft bed.

She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

* * *

Three sharp raps on the door and a "Corinne-san, wake up!" woke Corinne from her deep slumber, and she groggily passed a hand over her eyes as she opened them to the half-bright light of the very early sun. Mornings were not her favorite time of day, under any circumstances.

She barely had opened the door when a hand came flying at her face. Yelping, she stumbled backwards, tripping over her own feet and landing in a heap of blankets and pillows. Dashi's cheerful face popped through the doorway. "Never let your guard down, Corinne-san! We start training today. Quick, get up."

Corinne rose from where she hung off the bed in an awkward position, and rubbed her forehead as the blood rushed back down towards her body. "You sure are cheerful this morning, Dashi-san," she commented, plopping the comforter and bed accessories back onto the mattress. She could neaten those later.

Dashi chuckled. "I have reason to be cheerful—I have an apprentice, and it's about time it was so! We'll begin in an hour."

And as soon as he appeared, he was gone.

Corinne groaned in disbelief that she could possibly be awake _this _early, and waited a few moments until her momentarily disoriented mind righted itself again.

She quickly slipped her blue blouse and jeans she had fallen asleep in off, and one of the red robes on. Tying it all off with a black sash and black slippers, she brushed her hair and teeth briskly with comb and toothbrush that had found their way to the bathroom overnight.

When all of this had been done, only half of the permitted hour was passed, and she left the room_ (her_ room now) in a state of slight mess.

When she walked out, Dashi was stretching in the large space that Corinne had rightly assumed would be used for training and sparring and whatnot.

She waited silently as he bent in impossibly flexible ways, falling smoothly into back-bends, handstands, and more. When he finally stopped, he was standing with his back to Corinne, so she was surprised when he said abruptly, "You _do know _you can stop hiding now?"

Corinne blushed and stepped out of the shadows. "I didn't want to interrupt. How did you know I was standing there?" She approached Dashi and stopped a few feet behind him.

He turned to face her, and said, "I could smell you—you wear perfume." He was wearing black pants, and a sleeveless black tunic, a red dragon embroidered to appear draped over the right shoulder and wrapped around to the back.

Corinne laughed. "I'll have to remember that next time."

The ex-grandmaster nodded. "Agreed. Anyway, shall we start?"

Corinne agreed, and they took stances. Corinne's was the same as before, and Dashi's too. They stood for a moment, sizing each other up, before Corinne put a foot forward and ran towards her sensei.

Ooooh, do I smell the distinct odor of foreshadowing? Or is it just a crappy attempt at a cliffhanger? Feedback is always welcome, but seldom expected. I love reviewing, but to be honest, I don't really give a cow's shit whether y'all want me to continue or not. So nyah! XP (Plus, my cousin would probably beat the CRAP out of me if I didn't, cause I deleted my last fic. Don't hurt me, Vivienne! Have fun at camp, btw!) Oh, and I know the chapter title sucks. I was brain-dead.

Over and OUT, peoplz,

Tai Birdsong


	4. Religion

A/N: Yes, chapter four is here! This one was written basically ALL last night, during a six hour computer session. XD Well, this ones the longest chapter yet, roughly 1800 words, and the funnest to write. Don't be put off if the updates are later, I'm doing stuff with my friends, and also working on some major plot stuffs. Thank you AFI and Dane Cook for providing entertainment whilst I wrote this... Especially the song Endlessly, She Said. I'm peppy cuz I'M GETTING THE 11TH AND 12TH DEATH NOTES TONIGHT PROBABLY!!! SQUEEEEEEE Anyway, thanks to Te-chan for her awsum criticism, and Laura-chan for being the first to read. XD Oh, sorry for the lack of creativity on my dear OC's mother's name. I was kinda braindead at the time.

**Chapter Four: Religion**

As Corinne aimed a fist at Dashi's face, he stepped forward and caught it in his larger hand, then her other as that one came flying too. He attempted to swing her around as he had the last time, but the same trick wouldn't work on her twice. She managed to twist out of his tight grasp, and kicked towards his ribs.

Dashi jumped over her foot agilely, then fell to the floor, somersaulting and rising agilely to resume. He decided that he had had enough of blocking, and lept high into the air, bringing a stiff-handed blow on Corinne's shoulder.

She winced, and her knees nearly gave out—he was stronger than he even looked. She attempted to kick his legs out from under him, but Dashi had landed a solid blow, and it hurt to move her arm.

The fight progressed, mainly one-sided in Dashi's favor. Soon, he blocked a blow, and pushed her arm down.

"That is enough."

They immediately ceased, and Corinne bent over, her hands on her knees holding up her upper body weight. She panted for a moment, then straightened up again.

She laughed breathlessly. "So how was I?"

Dashi immediately commented, "Your attacks are strong, but most of the time, head-on attacks alone won't suffice. If you're sparring or fighting a minor enemy and time is not a pressing issue, give yourself a while to observe your opponent's style. You'll be able to predict their actions earlier, and therefore parry and block more accurately. On that subject, also try not to reveal too much of _your_ style. If you have to fight an enemy more than once, them knowing all of your signature moves will not help. Only take out the big guns if it's a matter of life or death... or capture, that is."

_Life or death...? _Corinne almost gulped—she hadn't seriously considered that she very well may die in the process of helping Xiaolin.

"Yes, Dashi-sensei." She stored the tips mentally, to take into consideration when they fought next.

Surprise briefly registered on her tutor's face, before he laughed. "Oh, I haven't been called 'sensei' in such a long time. You almost sent me into a state of shock!"

_'Such a long time' he says... Exactly how much of Dad's stories are true...? _Corinne thought, eyes narrowing. "How long a time?" she said conversationally, throwing a glance his way.

He waved a vague arm. "Oh, a while." He neatly dodged the question as effectively as he did her blows. "What do you say to me fetching a canole to bring back for breakfast? Are you hungry?"

Corinne gave up for the moment trying to pry information from him—he was obviously well prepared. "That sounds fine... Except, well, what _is _a canole exactly?" she asked, smiling sheepishly.

Dashi waited a moment, as if waiting for her to say "Just kidding!" When she didn't, he shook his head, struggling to hold back a smile. "I guess you'll have to wait until I bring one back. I guess it's not really a common Japanese term. I'll be back in fifteen minutes," he told her, before vanishing.

Corinne blinked, surprised at his sudden disappearance, then shook her head slowly. She made her way to the bathroom attached to her room, and turned a nozzle in the shower, drawing the curtain across before any wetness could find its way to the floor. She experimented a bit with the temperature, before stripping of her robes and stepping directly under the water. The spray was surprisingly strong; it sunk into her back muscles, forcing them to relax. She laughed softly to herself—it was a warrior's shower. She had fifteen minutes, and she let her mind wander...

_Karin sunk deeper into her bed, relishing the warmth that seeped into her body. _

_Her father, perched on the edge of the mattress, leaned over and laid a kiss on her forehead. "A bedtime story, for my little girl?"_

_Karin nodded vigorously, looking into her father's eyes hopefully. The middle-aged man, whose hair and eye color matched Karin's perfectly, smiled, and laugh lines wrinkled around his eyes, the only sign that said he could be over forty. _

"_Alright then. Let's see..." He pretended to have a hard time deciding, making the young girl giggle in anticipation. _

"_There was once a very small temple, nestled far back in the mountains of China—just like you're nestled in those blankets. At this temple of the Xiaolin, there lived many monks, but the ones who stood out the most were four only." _

_Karin played along, asking, "Who were they?" even though she knew the story practically by heart—she had heard a different version of basically the same thing every night since as far back as she could remember. "They were Dashi, Dragon of the Winds, Guan, Dragon of the Soil, or Earth, Chase Young, Dragon of the Flames, or Fire, and their Grandmaster, who taught them their ways. The three dragons trained together, worked together, and fought against the mighty force that opposed them—the evil Heylin." _

_At this point, he tickled Karin's cheek to relieve the seriousness of the actual subject. _

_She squirmed under the blanket. "Daddy!" _

_He laughed again, and the little girl marveled at how easy it came to him—he smiled more than she had ever seen any other grownup smile. "_

_If that's what my Princess wants," he teased gently, then continued: _

"_They lived in harmony, until, one day, an evil, evil man appeared: Hannibal Roy Bean. _

"_This foe sought to corrupt—ruin, that means—the bond that Guan, Dashi, and Chase shared. He deceived—tricked—Chase into thinking that Guan was against him, and into drinking a magical, evil soup, called Lao Meng Lone. _

"_This soup turned Chase into a demon that all feared, and he turned to Heylin, and fought against his friends Dashi and Guan, along with Hannibal and the immortal witch Wuya. For this soup made him also immortal—he could not ever die a natural death. _

"_While Chase was gone from the Xiaolin Temple, his old master passed away, for he was ancient, and had succeeded in training his pupils to the fullest extent possible. Dashi was made grandmaster, and he began to use mysterious weapons he had made called Shen-Gong-Wu against the Heylin. These Wu had mystical powers, and he used them in an attempt to avenge the turning of Chase. _

"_He hid for three days and nights, crafting a puzzle-box made of a strong wood, that he alone could craft. A battle ensued, and he captured the witch Wuya inside, so she could no longer torment the world. _

"_After that, Chase went into hiding, biding his time, Guan traveled the world a dozen times to seek his fortune, and Dashi—" _

_The door to the child's room suddenly swung open to reveal a light haired woman in a blue cotton nightgown. "Karin? Karin, are you still awake, it's past your bedtime." _

_Seeing her husband on the edge of the bed, she frowned. "Oh, for goodness' sake, Gregory, are you telling more of your 'bedtime stories,' even after I begged you not to? Come, they're much too advanced, and violent for a seven year old to be hearing!" _

_Her husband, Gregory, shook his head. "I tell you Kurenai, one day she'll appreciate the tales I have to tell."_

_At Kurenai's disparaging look, he said softly, "But you know best, dear. Give me a moment to tuck her in properly."_

_Karin watched this all in mute fascination. Despite her father smiling the most of any adult she knew, her mother also argued with him the most she had ever seen of any grownup. _

_She hated it. _

_While her father was easy to be with, her mother always was so... so stern, serious. She never told bedtime stories. _

_And despite Karin being named for her own mother, she felt like they couldn't possibly be more different. _

_Kurenai nodded and left with a "Good night, Karin," and a sigh. _

_After seeing the door shut behind his wife, Gregory Mandel leaned over to say quietly in his daughter's ear, "After that, Chase went into hiding, biding his time, Guan traveled the world to seek his fortune, and Dashi... mysteriously... disappeared!" _

_Karin realized she had been holding her breath in, and released it quickly, which made her slightly dizzy. The ending always kept her in suspense, like there ought to be more on Dashi's part, but there was always an obstacle in the way: the quiet words "the end." Those shouldn't have been there. _

_For the story would go on, though uneventfully, for another fifteen hundred years. And it would take a sudden sharp twist when a young girl, but fifteen, would leave home on a plane for America, and sign her legal papers with, not Karin Setsunaku, but the name Corinne Mandel._

When Corinne heard a knock on her bedroom door, she called, "Just a minute!" and hopped hastily out of the shower, turning the knob off, toweling dry, and slipping into a new robe.

Having done this in less than a minute, she panted once before opening the door to see Dashi standing at it, a brown paper bag that had a sweet aroma floating about it in one hand.

He took in her wet, still un-brushed hair, and held up the bag. "Breakfast."

After combing (more so ripping) painfully through the wet mess that claimed her head, Corinne sat at Dashi's side, cross-legged and leaning back against a wall. In front of them laid an empty box, cut string dangling from the sides, and they each munched on half a pastry.

Dashi apologized briefly. "Sorry, I didn't think to put a table in here. I'll work on that next. In the meantime, maybe we'll get carpet?" he joked, as he stretched out one leg on the wooden floor.

Corinne laughed halfheartedly—her mind was still on something else.

Apparently, it showed on her face, because she realized after a second that he was peering at her curiously. "Something wrong?" he said slowly, as he saw the blank, almost troubled look on her face.

Corinne shook the thoughts away, and said, "Oh, it's nothing. Just thinking."

Dashi looked skeptical, and addressed it anyway, "Thinking about what? You look troubled, or worried about something."

Corinne shook her head again, and smiled, biting into the canole she held. "No, nothing specific really... Just, well, things." It was his turn to let something slide.

He shrugged. "Alright, if you say so. What do you think?" He gestured at the pastries.

Corinne rolled her eyes heavenward. "Oh, I didn't know what I was missing. Whatever gods are out there, bless Milan's confectionery goods." Corinne laughed, but Dashi was suddenly quiet at her remark.

"It's that good, huh?" He seemed thoughtful, and looked at her like he was trying to see through her. "Corinne-san, what religion do you practice?"

The question seemed slightly controlled, somehow, and Corinne thought, in the privacy of her own mind, _It almost seems he's been waiting for an opportunity to ask me._

Corinne thought out her answer, and chose her words carefully. Meanwhile, Dashi waited patiently, toying with the cloth of his shirt on which the green dragon was embroidered.

"I've never had a particular religion I've stuck to all my life," she admitted, watching Dashi finger a stitch in the dragon's tail. "When I lived in Japan, my mother brought me to the Nachi Shrine, in Wakayama Prefecture, once a month, but Shintoism never appealed to me, and my mother scoffed at the idea of syncretism. I just never found anything that I agreed with." Her eyes had wandered to Dashi's face and she was surprised when he smiled.

"There, red's much better."

_...Uh, what?_

Then Corinne realized that the dragon on his tunic had morphed to a blood-red color when she had been paying attention to his face instead.

His clothing alterations finished, Dashi brought one knee up and rested his chin in his hand. His brow furrowed as he spoke quietly:

"I know what you mean. That's one important reason I left the temple—the difference in beliefs between my Master and I. I had never questioned Buddhism as a child, and how could I have been expected to? I grew up with it all around me, just another part of life. When I began to inquire about whether what we believed in was true, the temple was concerned. They had never had anybody think twice about what they were expected to believe. They were too set in their ways—I needed change."

Corinne agreed with him—yes, change was good. She knew from experience.

She also knew that this was the perfect opportunity for digging. If she was going to uncover something about Grandmaster Dashi, this was the time to do it.

Over and out, dearies!

Tai


	5. A Grandmaster's Tale

A/N: I am soooo sorry for the late, late, late, late chapter, everyone! School's been hectic, and I've been fooling around with the plot, working all of the sequence of events and shit out. But, for those of you, who are bored of Corinne and Dashi's monotonous way of life, fear no longer—they may soon have a visitor from Dashi's past, who is certain to spice things up...

**Chapter Five: Of a Grandmaster's Tale**

"Dashi?" Corinne cocked her head to the side, tapping her fingers on one raised knee. The sensei in question was inspecting the thread on his shirt again.

"Mm, Corinne-san?" She saw him attempt to stifle a truly enormous yawn, and wondered how he could be yawning, when they had woken up over an hour ago. Unless he hadn't slept well the other night? They had come back to Milan early.

Shaking her distracting thoughts of Dashi's sleep patterns aside, she asked, "Why do you stay here, in Milan? Don't you have any friends, or family, who miss you where you were at the temple?" It hadn't come out the way Corinne wanted, and she bit her lip, grimacing. "I mean, aren't you lonely here?"

Dashi quickly shook his head. "No. I've always been a solitary person—I can be on my own with only my thoughts and I'll be just fine. Of course, it is nice to have company." He threw a quick glance at her at that. "But, to answer what you want to know—I know the human mind Corinne-san, don't deny it—no. My mother passed away a long time ago, and I, to tell you the truth, ran away from home to join the temple—I wanted a piece of the action. A war was going on, you see."

Corinne gaped. "A war, truly? Did you fight in it?" A war she had never heard of—_if father's stories really _are _true, that is._

Dashi chuckled, and Corinne saw that the dragon was green again when he looked up. "It wasn't really a war, so I never fought. Everything was all talk—a simple matter of two countries settling the particulars on some treaty, being hyped up by the public, as usual. But by the time I realized that, I had been gone for a month, and it would've been seen as a scandal if I came back after all of that, especially with no good story to tell to calm the jabbering of the town gossips. I did not wish to bring dishonor to my father and two brothers, so I journeyed to my hometown during the night. My father, without my brothers knowing, asked me to not come back home, understandably, and I stayed at the temple until I was twenty-two."

Corinne couldn't help but stare. _Stay away from home, forever? Just for the sake of your family's honor? Any family that would _ask _their son to never come back, because it would be too _shameful _to have him around has got to be awful! _"But, that's so... what family in modern Japan would be worried about _honor_? I thought things like that only happened hundreds of years ago; was it really that small and secluded a town? Plus, it couldn't have been such a big deal, just because you were away for a few weeks"

Dashi shook his head. "Well, I didn't mind—see, I had wanted to join the temple for a while before that. The Xiaolin Temple wasn't viewed very positively by my village. Heylin had started to corrupt the minds of our elders, our leaders, if you will. When the head of Heylin informed them that a small temple nestled in the mountains was rebelling, the village citizens did everything to get rid of it. They resorted to burning it down, and in the weeks on, I would journey to the mountains every day to help the monks rebuild their home.

"Before I knew it, the head of the temple, Master Sen, was asking me to join the temple. When the supposed 'war'," Dashi rolled his eyes at the word, "came 'round, I accepted his offer. And I began training, for the fighting that never happened. And, as it were, that became my new home. It was hard at first, because I was young, and I had absolutely adored my older brother, and fawned over my younger. I naturally thought that no one in my life could survive without me. But my father showed my how wrong I was."

Corinne's brow furrowed, deep creases appearing in her forehead. "When you say young, _how _young do you exactly mean?"

Dashi promptly informed her, "Nine."

"Nine!?" Corinne almost yelled, and Dashi started, inching marginally away from her as she shouted disbelievingly, "But th-that's so young! Way too young to be seperated from your family, at least. How were you able to just walk away from your home at nine?"

Dashi waited a moment, as if to test whether Corinne's tangent has finished or not. "It wasn't as outrageous as you suppose. Kids were working in their parents' rice patties at my age and younger, and they stayed in cottages outside the patties, so they didn't have to make the trip every day. Children would come home Fridays and visit their home, worship at the shrine, and then leave again. That's the way it was back then—" He stopped suddenly, and looked like he had said too much.

"Back then? How long ago was this, sensei? I didn't think there were very many old-fashioned rice patties in China anymore, even fourteen or so years ago." _Yes! Oh, look at him, he's furious at himself. I definitely hit something on the head _here

"Like I said, I'll be twenty-three next month."

"You didn't really answer my question there, Dashi-sensei." Corinne pointed to his chest, with a look that clearly screamed, 'You can't fool me for a second, _Grandmaster Dashi_.'

Dashi almost seemed to go lax, and sighed out, "So I suppose you know? Or do I have to retell the whole story?"

Corinne nodded shortly. _Well, he just told me as soon as he suspected I knew—that was hardly any fun at all. _"I've heard the story plenty a time. But why didn't you tell me straight out in the beginning?"

A smile quirked Dashi graceful features. "Simple—the human mind can only take so much, before it, to be frank, flips. I made that mistake with the first apprentice; I told them everything about Xiaolin and Heylin, everything about me, everything about the temple."

"And what happened?"

"He ran, screaming. Actually, I'm still waiting for you to do the same, but you're taking it considerably more calmly than the others did. One girl tried to call the psych ward on me—I escaped the men with the sedatives just in the nick of time."

Corinne stared blankly at him, before collapsing on the floor in a raucous fit of laughter. "You—psych ward—sedatives—ran—screaming—" were some things that she managed to gasp out between great heaves of mirth.

Dashi backed away, and vaguely wondered if she had snapped.

"Corinne-san, you need to breathe!"

Extracting important information from Dashi—even now that _he _knew that _she _knew—was like pulling teeth from a particularly unwilling donkey. And it wasn't even as if he didn't want to tell—he just seemed too lazy to do it. He had no problem disclosing facts about his life—but they were all trivial matters, nothing profound.

"But did Chase turn to Heylin before or after you left, grandmaster?" Corinne felt like this was at least the seventh time she had asked this question, just in different context.

Dashi bowed his head, and held a hand up. "Please—sensei or Dashi-sensei would do just fine. I don't possess the right to be named grandmaster; that's exclusive to the current grandmaster—although there really isn't one."

Corinne hesitated, then asked, "So... Xiaolin doesn't have any head force currently, Dashi-sensei?"

"No, they do. They have a master, which _is _in charge of the temple. Think of grandmaster as the next level, after master. If you're good, you're master. If you're really good, you're grandmaster," Dashi explained patiently.

"Ah." Corinne waited, and then narrowed her eyes. "Is that an indirect way of bragging, sensei?"

"Why yes, it is." Dashi grinned good-naturedly. "But that one's off the record."

They laughed together, and Corinne remembered her initial question. "Anyway, Dashi-sensei, did Chase turn to the Heylin side after you became grandmaster?"

Dashi's grin quickly sobered—they were back to business now. "Yes, after. But, of course, before I left. I became grandmaster, Chase turned Heylin, I left due to my disagreements with the temple, and then my close friend Guan took over where I left off, as master. He left soon, maybe half a year, after that, to 'travel the world for wisdom.'" Dashi rolled his eyes with the words. "I think he was looking for more than wisdom—a girl's more like it."

Corinne snorted. "Wow... That kind of contradicts my mental image of Master Monk Guan. Actually, it completely _shatters_ it. You're shattering my _perfectly cultivated mental image_, sensei! That's just cruel!"

Dashi nodded understandingly. "I feel your pain, Corinne-san."

There was a short moment of silence for Corinne's emotional scars, and then they continued. (A/N: That came out of freaking NOWHERE. XD)

"So, now I know why you're here. And I... can understand why _I'm _here. Which is to train," Corinne hinted heavily, making a rolling motion with her hands.

Dashi laughed. "Ah, I see, Corinne-san. I apologize for monopolizing a whole conversation to myself—see, I demonstrate the very meaning of sloth; I could sit on my lazy ass and sleep all day. But I have a feeling that you won't be letting me do that very often, eh?"

"Sorry, your old way of life has officially ended, sensei. And once we're done sparring, will you at least _attempt _to clean this place? It looks like some bachelor pad." Corinne gestured toward random things on the floor—dishes, and many very, very unfortunate socks.

Dashi laughed. "It _was _a bachelor's pad, before you came—er, that wasn't what I meant to say."

Corinne stopped a choke from coming out of her throat. "Ahem. Right, sensei."

Haha, and there it is, after like a month. I apologize it took so long--and it's not even that long a chapter. But things gotta be done, and if you're looking for one of those ever-day-constant-updaters then you've reached the end of your lucky rope with me, buddies. Review if you'd like--and reviews certainly inspire me. Starting soon, I'm going to be posting little side-chapters along with the story. They'll usually be humorous, or sometimes sad, little side-stories that don't have much importance to the plot and won't really carry over into the regular story. So look out for the first one soon!


	6. Rain Falls on China

A/N: This is one of those short side-chapters I told you guys about in the last chapter (numero cinque--I'm taking Italian in school. XD). This one's just a small, sad little 'ponderation' of Dashi's, that was written pretty much in one piece. Dashi does not belong to me, and neither does the line "And with the way you've been talking, every word gets you a step closer to hell." That belongs to the wonderful Brian Urie and the rest of his awesome band. (AKA Panic! At the Disco). XD I am such a fangirl...

Rain Falls on China

The rain poured from the heavens onto his uplifted face, spilling like rivulets down his features. He was grateful for the rain; he was afraid that if the skies had been clear, he would have found tears upon his cheeks. Lightning flashed, as if the sky was cursing him: "Heathen, be gone!" The thunder roared in his general direction, "Be gone from this temple, this place of protection and worship, lest the gods wash you from this earth with this very rain; gods spite you!"

He was there to say goodbye. A final visit, even though he dared not let himself see anyone, speak to anyone, or even have his presence be known amongst the elder monks. Yes, it was a coward's farewell for him, and he was not fine with that. But what could really be expected of the situation, of himself? Cowardliness was not a large shock on his part.

He had left for a reason, a reason which he could not expect anyone to understand—after all, it was temple, and temples had their ways and beliefs. Could he have expected them to react any differently, when he questioned their Gods, tested their faith, made them rely on the elders to say, "It's alright, child, go back to sleep. He _does _exist."

_And with the way you've been talking, every word gets you a step_

_Closer_

_To_

_Hell..._

So, with all of that said, who was he to blame himself—or anyone other than him, for that matter? It could not have been avoided; fate had chosen him to lead a consecrated life.

He had no more control over his disbeliefs than he did over when the rain falls on China.

He hoisted the small bag over his shoulder, and without one word, Grandmaster Dashi passed through the gates of the Xiaolin Temple, for the last time.

Okay, you all should tell me whether you like these things or not. If you do, I'll keep writing them. If you don't, I'll keep writing them anyway, because they're fun to do. XP Most of them will be comedy-based, but this first one was pretty depressing for an almost sole romance-based story. But whatever.

Look alive, fangirls! TB

P.S. In the next chapter, which will be coming out at the latest Monday, you'll all get some plot development--not just random Dashi-Corinne training scenes! And what's this? A new character? Yes, someone from Dashi's past has found his way to our Grandmaster's hideout--the beautiful city of Milan.


	7. Seashell Necklace

A/N: Hip-hip hooray for chapter six of TFWB! (referred to me and my friends as Tuf-wub—Tough Love. Cause that's Dashi's motto. XD) This is THE longest yet—only about two hundred below three thousand words. Plus, I reached the ten thousand word mark in this fanfiction, a sign to myself saying "Kay, you haven't given up yet—maybe we'll get all the way through this one." Oh, and I must give my apologies—Last chapter (or rather side-chapter) I gave a little preview. But that preview's wrong. Because this chapter took up longer than I originally thought, and I didn't want to drag it on. So the new character will either come in around chapter seven or eight. Now, I'll leave all you to read!

Disclaimer: (Because I always forget about these friggin things...) I don't own Xiaolin Showdown, or Milan, and neither do I own my dad's computer, which this is being typed up on. (Yes, I write shorthand. Not authentic-old-fashioned-authoress enough for you? Too bad!)

**Chapter Six: Seashell Necklace**

"Corinne-san, we're going to try something different this time; is that okay?" Dashi tapped his jaw thoughtfully, and he didn't seem to be particularly listening to her answer.

"That's fine, sensei. But what do you mean by 'different?'" Corinne leaned so her head was upside down, and grabbed her ankle with two hands, stretching.

Dashi, as always, neatly laid aside his shoes in a corner, and shucked off his outer cloak. "Tell me when you're ready, and then we'll start, Corinne-chan."

Corinne was startled by the term usually used towards children, but she looked up at Dashi and saw he smiled, not cruelly. His look was strange, like he wanted to tell her something, but he knew he oughtn't.

She smiled back hesitantly, and thought about his words. _Tell me when you're ready._ He was usually a surprise attacker, coming out of nowhere—this must have been what he wanted to try differently.

"Are you ready yet?" His words, again, surprised Corinne, but this time because of the impatience in his tone.

She straightened up. "Ah, yes—yes, let's start." She gathered herself and approached her normal stance, two fists held in front of her defensively, in a slight crouch.

Dashi, as usual, placed his shoes in a corner, and took his regular casual position.

He waited for Corinne to start—and she did, aiming a fist at his rib-case. He leapt out of the way, slamming a foot outwards. He caught her in mid lunge and she was knocked back forcefully, his hard foot making contact with her stomach.

"Oof!" she let out, doubling over.

So he wanted to play offensive today.

Catching on, she circled with him, occasionally attacking in a quick torrent. He spoke slowly, "Come, Corinne-san, you must be able to do something other than block and engage in short flurries of attacks!"

Corinne frowned; Dashi wasn't acting like his usual self. She shrugged her thoughts away and concentrated at the battle at hand. He moved, but it was a feint, Corinne detected from early on. But there was something strange about the way he sat to the back. He seemed to be toying with her... no... testing her?

He darted towards her, for real this time, and jarred painfully into her shoulder. Well, painfully for _her _at least—he seemed to back away from her again without any sign of being jolted by their impact.

Corinne rubbed her shoulder angrily—this was starting to annoy her.

She took the offensive, aiming a fist at his ribcage, but he easily dodged the blow. "Tut tut," he scolded, "The same attack every time will never work, Corinne-san." His words were accented by a loud "Ah!" from Corinne, who had received a fist in her stomach.

Corinne glared, choosing her defensive moves carefully, planning out her moves so as to avoid Dashi's iron hand. Feinting to the left and then throwing herself to the right forcefully, she managed to drag a foot on his leg, but it wasn't nearly enough to topple him over, and the only one who fell was her.

She gasped as she hit the floor, elbow slamming hard against the wood. "Ouch..." She held her right arm gingerly as she attempted to get up, Dashi's words coming to her in an agitated tone, "Get up, Corinne-san! If you can't right yourself after a fall, you'll never be a great fighter! Don't you want to make your father proud!?"

Corinne's breath halted in her throat, and she slumped back to the floor, which she had half-risen from.

_...What?!_

Corinne met Dashi's eyes, which still had spark from their battle. "Don't... Don't you... say that—I," Her hollow tone was quickly turning to that of an angry one. "How could—how could you _say _that, Dashi? What's wrong with you, you've been different this whole fight, and now you—you—when you _know_ he's dead!"

Dashi's face slowly drained of its redness, and he bent his head downwards. "Corinne-san, please allow me to ex—"

"No!" Corinne stood up, pointing an accusing finger at her sensei. "No, no, I won't _allow you to explain_! That was just... You're just like a typical man!" She turned and fled into her room. She shut the door behind her, quietly, then opened it, and slammed it again for emphasis.

Corinne stood against the door. _What an... idiot._ She stomped to her bed, knocking into the side of her dresser and tripping herself on the way there. She let out an angry, exasperated noise, and curled up at the head of her bed.

Corinne's eyes widened when they leaked slightly, moisture dotting her pillow. "Crap," she hissed, voice thick, and wiped at the droplets threatening to spill over the brim of her eyes with the sleeve of her robe.

_I'm over-reacting...Why am I crying? _she asked herself, furiously scrubbing at her cheeks to erase all traces of tears.

A sudden knock came at the door, with a "Corinne-san." His voice didn't rise at the end; he wasn't asking a question. It was a simple acknowledgment that she was in here, angry at him—and he knew. "Corinne-san, I wouldn't make you let me in, so I'm just going to stand outside this door and tell you why I said what I did." His tone was direct and he had firmly decided on explaining himself, but he still voiced his explanation softly.

"It was a test—a test, in order for me to better understand not just your fighting style, but you; yourself. I had to know how you would respond, whether you would grow angry and fight more fiercely, whether you would ignore it, whether you would break down... And I couldn't possibly gauge that if you _knew _I was testing you; you would be prepared for it, and in a real fight, you'll most likely never have time to prepare yours—I'm sorry; I'm ranting now.

_A... test. So, I really am just some girl to have fight for him, for Xiaolin, after all. But... what did I expect to... be? _

Dashi continued, voice hushing until Corinne had to strain to hear him. And she tried not to strain her ears too much—it sent odd spasms through her brain, and she was getting lightheaded, probably from the tears:

"So I suppose I mean to say that I'm sorry. I'm very sorry—I didn't mean to... hurt your feelings."

Corinne couldn't help but smile a small watery smile as she heard his words. "So we're in kindergarten now, Dashi-sensei?"

She could almost hear his sigh of relief. "So does that mean that you forgive me, Corinne-san? I'm truly very sorry."

Corinne sat up and leaned against the headboard, facing the door. "Not quite yet. But I wouldn't say no to having a face-to-face talk, instead of through the door," she said quietly.

Her door slowly opened, and Dashi's face peeked round the corner. He saw Corinne, and came to perch on the wooden footboard silently. They didn't meet eyes for a time, before Dashi turned his head to say something. "I—" he started. Abruptly, he stopped, looking taken aback. "I... made you cry."

Corinne stiffened, and slowly shook her head. "No, you didn't."

Dashi came to sit next to her on the mattress, and gestured to her pillow. "There are droplets, on your pillow. Corinne-san, I'm so sorry—"

"Don't—"

"Trust me when I tell you that I would never try to make you c—"

"Sensei, you're making this worse than it already is." Corinne put a hand on his shoulder, and he looked at it, then at the angry expression on her face.

"Corinne-san," he met her eyes, and she scowled. "You can admit to crying. I won't think any less of you if you did."

Corinne shook her head and placed her hands over her ears, not caring if it was a childish action or not. "Please, Dashi-sensei—just leave me alone."

He tried to talk, but she refused to listen, and he rose from the bed to walk towards the door. He left her room without another word, and she finally lowered her hands from her ears. She waited to hear if he was still outside her bedroom, but if he was she couldn't tell.

She lay down, but it was a long time before her exhaustion took over and her eyes shut.

Corinne's eyes slowly fluttered open, with much reluctance, and she groaned as she rolled over. The events of last night came flooding back to her, and she had half a mind to close her eyes again.

Deciding that she would put off seeing Dashi this early in the morning as long as she could, she went to take a lengthy shower.

She took her sweet time, avoiding thinking about what had happened—_no use pulling the trigger early_. She had to laugh when she thought that—she sounded like she was heading to her electric chair, instead of her sensei. Corinne had already brushed through her hair, when she saw the digital clock on her dresser—in her purposely-detached state of mind, she had forgotten to check the time.

_No wonder I'm still so tired, even after a hot shower... It's one o'clock in the morning. Smart one._

Corinne cracked her door open marginally, and peeked around the corner. It was pitch-black, and nothing was out of the ordinary.

_What, was I expecting Dashi to come popping up out of the blue? He must sleep too, and speaking of that, I should probably get some more rest._

She closed her door again, maybe a little too loudly, and sagged against it. Suddenly, her bed looked quite inviting, and she was making to fall back into it, when she spotted something lying on her dresser.

She picked it up, and turned it over in her hand. It was a shell on a thin black band. It was small and blue, with intricate silver spiral designs on it that seemed to be freshly painted.

Where it had laid on the dresser was also a note in a sloppy, hurried script. Corinne read:

'Corinne-san,

For you. In my village, if you upset a friend or family member, one would find a shell of blue and silver, string it upon a baby spider's silk thread, and give it to them. The friend would take a few days to decide if they could forgive the one who offended them. If they did, they would wear the necklace so the other could see it. Forgiveness would be given, unsaid, and their friendship would continue on, without dwelling on the argument.

Call this a cowardly attempt to avoid conflict—give someone a necklace, and hope it goes away, but I've always been fond of the tradition.

Of course, blue and silver shells are nowhere to be found these days, so this one was painted. And also, I never learned to extract silk thread from a baby spider, so it's on a black cord.

I hope you accept my apology—if I don't see the necklace, I'll understand.

Dashi'

Corinne set down the note, along with the shell necklace, and thought about staying up and waiting out for the morning. That idea was quickly vetoed when her eyelids drooped. She settled down on her bed again, on top of the sheets, and this time she fell asleep almost immediately.

Waking up was an unattractive idea, but it was necessary—and Corinne woke up far later than the sun. She made sure to check the clock this time—it was already late morning, eight or so—and just brushed through her hair again, being already dressed from earlier.

Her sheets were mangled about, and Corinne tried to recall if she had had any stressful dreams. She couldn't remember anything.

She headed out of her room, and found Dashi meditating in the open area, sitting on the ground, hands lying limply on his knees. He cracked one eye open and nodded, rising to his feet. Corinne almost felt guilty as he glanced at her bare neck, no necklace adorning it. _His fault, _she whispered to herself in her mind. _His fault he said what he said._

Without a word, she began to stretch, spreading her legs and reaching down towards them, anything to keep her eyes away from Dashi's. She eventually couldn't resist—she peeked up at him through her hair, and at that exact moment, he did the same.

They both immediately slammed their heads downward, embarrassed. "Ouch!" Corinne cried out, as there was an audible 'crack' from her neck. She rubbed it, and scowled at Dashi's amused chuckle.

"Alright then, let's spar," she abruptly stood up, and Dashi's bemused smile faded, leaving a determined look instead. "Right. Just straight combat—First one down loses."

They leapt at each other without a 'ready, set, go,' and their forearms clashed against each other. For seconds, they braced against each other, gritting their teeth, before Dashi jumped back, causing Corinne to stumble slightly.

He darted to the side, chancing for a blow to the back, but Corinne dodged and tried to sweep her foot under his legs. Dashi jumped neatly over, and feinted to the left, catching her shoulder on the right.

_Damn, I need to get on my guard up again _she scolded herself, and leaned to the right to avoid Dashi's high-kicking leg. She swung to his right and aimed one fist towards his ribcage. Before he even blocked it, she thrust her foot out to throw him off balance.

Dashi tripped, but caught himself on her shoulder and swung her around multiple times. When he let go, Corinne nearly tripped over her own feet.

Dashi found himself laughing as she stumbled towards him dizzily, but was caught off guard—and knocked down to the floor.

Corinne kept herself from grinning, still stubborn. "I win. You should keep your guard up at all times like_ you _told _me_, Dashi-sensei."

Dashi rose from the floor, and rubbed his arm, where he had pulled it while swinging her around. "Alright—I admit defeat. But that doesn't mean I don't have some things to say."

He came to stand directly in front of her. "Your reflexes need to be improved—if your reactions aren't fast enough, your defense will be nonexistent—you can't keep up a blocking stance forever."

He lowered her hands to her side. "So this is what we'll do—my teachers would do this endlessly during their lessons, to keep us from sleeping during their lectures. You stand just like that—no cheating, don't raise your arms yet and don't look down at mine—and wait until I move to hit. Try and block me—we'll see if you're fast enough."

Corinne nodded and concentrated on his face. Seconds passed, and an expression suddenly flitted across his face. Her arm shot up just as his did, and they clashed.

Dashi smiled. "Great. Now again."

He kept a carefully composed face and a relaxed posture, and didn't move an inch for minutes—so Corinne didn't see his left hand move to cuff her right ear in time to block it. She winced, but he didn't actually hit her; his hand merely landed on her ear. She sighed in relief, but started when another hand was laid on her other ear.

Dashi shook his head. "No matter _what _happens, never let your guard down. The fight doesn't end after the first blow—there's always an opportunity for the enemy to take advantage of the lapse in blows."

His hands lowered again, and Corinne nodded, body tense.

Their game of 'Stay on Guard' lasted for what seemed like years—sometimes Dashi would try several blows in a few minutes, and once they stood for twenty minutes without budging, Dashi striking only after she seemed to relax.

Dashi lowered his fist from where Corinne had caught it. "Good, good. Now, let's get a drink and rest."

Corinne tipped her head back, downing the rest of her water bottle down in one giant gulp. Dashi watched silently, and, when she had lowered the bottle from her lips, started, "Corinne-san."

"Eh?" Corinne turned to him, twisting the cap back onto her bottle.

Dashi toyed with the cuff of his outer tunic. "How would you like to... see Milan? After all—you're here, you may as well see what there is to see. And to think that I brought you all the way here to Italy, and we haven't even seen the Teatro alla Scalla! We haven't seen _anything_, on that thought."

_This is his way of trying to make it up to me—I certainly give it to him for trying._ Corinne smiled feebly and twisted a lock of straight, dark brown hair around her finger. "That would be nice."

I hope the long-ness of this chappie makes up for a tiny bit of a late update! Please, review and tell me what you all think of my emotional scenes with Corinne-chan—cause this took me a heck o' lot of re-writes.

In short, that means, "Vivienne, help!" XD

Tai Birdsong


	8. What There is to See

**A/N: **Eh heh... a hah ha ha ha... Please don't hurt me. I'm SOOOOOOO sorry for the extremely late (about three months late...) chapter!!!!! I hit a wall with introducing this new character, but now I'm over it, and I should be active again! I'm sorry to say, also, that this chapter... is not long at all. sweatdrop But the next one will make up, I promise. Hopefully you get a laugh or two out of this one. I now present:

**Chapter Seven: What There is to See**

Dashi quickly peeked around the corner to see if anyone was paying any particular attention, then stepped out into the busy Milan street, Corinne following close behind him. She fell into step beside him, and watched the giant crowd around her uneasily. She shifted in her training robe awkwardly; many couples surrounded them, the men in handsome suits, and the women in designer dresses. And with a crowd this large, she could easily be trampled, without many noticing or caring...

_Mind, in check, _she mentally scolded herself. She glanced at Dashi, and saw that he was staring intently at her. "...Yes?" _What is he looking at? _

He slowly spoke, "I was just... asking if you had ever heard of the Castello Sforzesco?" She had a feeling he had been asking her for a while.

"Oh, ah, no," she conceded hastily, blushing, "I haven't. What is it?"

He looked ahead of them, so as to relieve the awkwardness in the air between them, and spoke after a long moment. "It's a castle here in Milan. It's been here since the fourteenth century; they turned it into an art gallery."

"Oh." Corinne mentally slapped herself. _Oh. That's a good one; can't I say anything else, for God's sake? _"What kind of art? I mean whose art?" She winced.

Dashi didn't pay mind to it. "Well," he sounded eager, "They have Michelangelo's _very last _sculpture, the Rondanini Pieta, and Da Vinci's Codex Trivulzianus manuscript; that one's not usually open to the public, but I know a man that works there and could let us see. Oh! and they have frescoes painted by him too, and the Trivulzio Madonna, by Mantegna." He sighed wistfully. "It's amazing."

Corinne stopped walking for a moment, and burst into laughter. "What?" Dashi seemed confused, but she continued walking. "You're so, well, _into it_. You sound like an eight-year-old going to the zoo for the first time!" Corinne shook her head, chuckling softly still.

Dashi grinned. "Sorry—I'm a sucker for the fine arts. Music, paintings, I love them all." He stopped Corinne with a hand briefly on her arm. "And, speaking of, there it is." He pointed, and Corinne's eyes followed his hand. Ahead of them and the crowd rose a grey castle. It was still a long while off but they could see it in the distance, because of its great size.

Corinne whistled appreciatively. "Pretty," she commented. Dashi simply nodded.

They walked, and walked, and Corinne attempted to make sense of the Italian signs around them. A few words she could guess, because of their English roots, others were completely unfamiliar. Dashi seemed to understand, though; he pointed things out to her, and made comments like, "We should go sometime to that restaurant, I've heard it's good," and "I know someone who went to college there; they're supposed to have a great science department."

"So you speak Italian?" she asked, when there was a long silence. "Yes," he immediately responded, "I've lived here for so long I just picked it up; I had to, if I wanted food—I may be over fifteen hundred years old, but I still need to eat. Ha ha!"

Minutes passed as they made their steady way towards the Sforzesco, and Corinne became more aware every second how the crowd pressed in against them. It was clearly a popular tourist attraction; cameras flashed, and rowdy foreigners pushed their way through, natives to the country glaring over their shoulders. It was hot, stifling hot, and Corinne stumbled over her own feet.

"Whoops, there you go," a passing man stood her right and went quickly on her way.

She was now getting dizzy; the man had spun her 'round and she couldn't tell which person around her was Dashi. Bright spots were appearing in front of her eyes, her head pounded, it was so hard to breathe...

Unconsciousness came mercifully.

Dashi turned and began to say something, before realizing that Corinne was no longer at his side. "...Oh. Well, that is not good." He turned around three-hundred-sixty degrees, and saw someone lying limply on the ground, passed out.

He started, and rushed to her, kneeling down. "Corinne-san? _Corinne_?" Dashi was given no response. Frowning, he scooped her up in his arms bridal style, and turned back towards where they had come from.

_Castle another day then, I suppose... _He began to shoulder his way through the multitude of people with some difficulty; they all milled against him, towards the castle, and people cursed angrily in his direction. He rolled his eyes, and started yelling:

"Move! I've got a limp body and I'm_ not afraid to use it_! Out of my way! Come _on_, move, damnit!" People made a small way for him, but the way was still thick, and he was sweaty and panting by the time he had only gotten halfway through the big rush.

Glancing around, he saw no one paying any particular attention to him, and he flicked his wrist, causing a strong gust to make the crowd sway away from him. He began to run out while there was an easier path.

He succeeding in making it out of the large pit of people with Corinne unharmed (besides from being unconscious) in his arms. He could see, distantly, the building Corinne and he lived in—and at that, he laughed out loud, despite Corinne's... unresponsive state. "Where Corinne and I live—imagine what Master Sen would think of _that one_."

He didn't expect to hear a voice reply.

But suddenly came: "Ha, there's a point. He'd flip, the old man."

Dashi spun around in alarm, because he was surprised to hear a response; because no one in Milan besides Corinne and he should've known who Master Sen was; and because he _recognized that voice_.

A few feet away from Dashi, a lanky man stood. His rich chestnut hair was tossed over his slanted golden eyes in casual disarray; he wore a dark, sleek business suit, fitting in perfectly with the male majority of the Milan crowd. His face, in contrast to his sharp suit, was rounded and boyish, adding a permanent sort of cheeky grin on his face.

Dashi didn't look much at his appearance though—he was momentarily frozen at catching sight of a face he had not seen in so long; over fifteen hundred years.

"Jie-Shen?" Dashi walked closer to the man, squinting as if he doubted his eyes were telling him the truth. "Jie-Shen, what... are _you _doing in _Milan_?" Dashi suddenly stumbled, and quickly regained his balance; he had half forgotten his pupil was in his arms still.

Jie-Shen's grin widened as Dashi said his name. "So you still remember me from the temple days, I see. Makes me think twice about playing all those tricks on you when I was your underclassman, eh?" He laughed, a short sound.

"I'm traveling the world, started late last year. Been to England, been to Australia, been to America, I said, hell, why not Italy next? I just didn't expect to see _you_ here, myself! Tell me, what are _you _doing here?"

Dashi shook his head, shaking off the lingering shock, and jerked his head as if to gesture around. "You know me, Jie-Shen, the arts. Da Vinci beckoned."

Jie-Shen waited a moment, then, when Dashi was silent, continued. "And, ah..." He looked down at Corinne. "This your girlfriend or something?" A sly smile crossed his mouth.

Dashi's eyes widened comically, and he followed Jie-Shen's gaze, as if wondering if he was really talking about Corinne. "Ah, no, no! My apprentice, of course. She's... a bit, er, unconscious right now, but..." Dashi paused a second. What was he going to propose again? "How about you come back to where I'm staying—to catch up, and such?"

Jie-Shen paused a moment, fidgeting, and Dashi saw him steal a quiet glance over his shoulder. He didn't comment, and Jie-Shen nodded after a second. "Sounds like a plan."

**A/N: **So, yeah, only a little over 1,300 words. But the next chapter will delve a little bit more into Dashi's past with this mysterious new character... Which, makes me realize that I should probably say this now before SOME fangirls get their hopes up:

THIS. STORY. WILL. CONTAIN. NO. YAOI.

Got it? Got it. Good.


End file.
